P EREMYSHLYANYTown in Western UKRAINE
(former Soviet Union)in the heart of historical area of Galicia
/ Halychyna,
which was formerly also part of Austrian empire (1772 - 1918)
and Poland (1375 - 1772 and 1919 - 1939)

Other names and spellings: Peremyshliany,
Peremyslany,PeremyshlanyPrzemyshlany, Przemysliany, PRZEMYSLANY
(Polish), Przemyslani (Slovenian), Przemyslani, Przemislany
(German, Hungarian), Peremyschlany (German)Above: map of Western Ukraine with
Peremyshlyany.
As you see town is just one hour drive from Lviv,
in the middle of what was earlier Eastern Galicia during
Austrian rule

Above: Coat of arms of Peremyshlyany
during Polish rule (1919 - 1939).
It has a straw bee-hut with bees flying around it on
the white-red background. This was to signify the
high developed bee-keeping in Peremyshlyany area.White and red were national colors of
Poland. Nowadays, Ukrainian coat of arms of
Peremyshlyany obviously does not have this
background, probably blue instead since blue and
yellow are national colors of Ukraine.
PEREMYSHLYANY is a small town in western part of
Ukraine. It has about 13.000 inhabitants and is
administrative center of Peremyshlyanskyy rayon
(Peremyshlyany district) which belongs to Lviv'ska
oblast (Lviv region), the westernmost region of
Ukraine.

Polish name of the town is PRZEMYSLANY and is spelled
as [Pzhemyslany]. This Polish name you will find on
the most of documents and maps dating before 1939,
when Peremyshlyany and whole Ukrainian province of
Galicia (Halychyna / Ggalizien / Galicja) was
part of Austria (Austria-Hungary, during 1772 - 1918)
and Poland (1375 - 1772 and 1919 - 1939). In 1939
Peremyshlyany and whole Galicia was occupied by
Soviet troops and incorporated into Ukrainian Soviet
Socialist Republic (of the Soviet Union) which is now
independent Ukraine (since 1991).
Name Peremyshlyany possibly comes from Slavic word
"promysl / przemysl" which can be
translated as "business, work or,
industry".Town is located
on the highest part of Podillya Uplands. And the
highest mountain of Podillya - KAMULA (about 500
meters above sea level) is located near
Peremyshlyany. Around Peremyshlyany hills are 406
meters high.The closest one in
village Lypivtsi which is on the top of it.Thick forest of horn-beam trees and beech
trees surround the area.Economically
speaking Peremyshlyany is quite backward with little
industry.
There is no railway connection to
Peremyshlyany, though there was one before the
Second World War. It used to connect Lviv and
Berezhany via Peremyshlyany. But it was destroyed by
Germans during the war and never restored again.During the First World War there was a
front line in Peremyshlyany along Hnyla Lypa (Gnila
Lipa) river and fierce battles between Austrian and
Russian troops. Thus many military cemetries remained
since those times in nearby forests.

Peremyshlyany is located on highway connecting Lviv
with Berezhany and Rohatyn, as well as with
whole Ivano-Frankivsk region. The main road runs
through main street which is also a key street in the
town. It is called "Halyts'ka" (Galician)
street.

Telephone code for Peremyshlyany is (+380)
3263, where 380 is international code for Ukraine. If
you dial within Ukraine you should dial 0 in front of
3263.The closest international
airport is in Lviv (Lvov - Lwow - Lemberg) which is
one hour drive from Peremyshlyany. Lviv is the major
city in Western Ukraine and Peremyshlyany belongs to
Lviv region. There are many daily connections to
Peremyshlyany from the Main Bus Station in Lviv
(at Stryiska street) as well as from Secondary Bus
Station (at Lychakivska street). All buses going from
Lviv to Rohatyn, Berezhany, Ivano-Frankivsk, Halych,
Kolomyya, Yaremcha, Dolyna, Kalush etc. stop in and
go via Peremyshlyany. Town is Ukrainian speaking and
Ukrainians are the most of population there. No Jews
or Poles left. One can count those by fingers, a few
tens.The closest towns to
Peremyshlyany are: BEREZHANY (my hometown), ZOLOCHIV
(ZLOCZOW), BIBRKA (BOBRKA) and ROHATYN (ROGATIN).

Above: Roman Catholic Church of St Peter and Paul in
Peremyshlyany
Address of Roman Catholic Parish in Peremyshlyany:

Above: General map of Western
Ukraine with Peremyshlyany marked on it.

Villages around Peremyshlyany
include(in limits of pre-war Przemyslany
district and some beyond it)
*UKRAINIAN NAME - POLISH NAME - RUSSIAN /
SOVIET NAME

* Bachiv - Baczow - Bachev, Bachov -
village

* Bile - Biale, Biala - Beloye - village 22 km south
east of Peremyshlyany, close to Dunayiv. Name is very
common and means "white"

* Bilka - Bialka - Belka - village naer Bryukhovychi,
off the road, some 10 km south east of Peremyshlyany.
Name means "squirell" in English.

* Bolotnya, Bolotnia, Bolotna - Blotnia, Blotna -
Bolotnya - village 18 km south east of Peremyshlyany,
on the border with Berezhany district and Ternopil
region.
Name comse from boloto - marches, swamp

* Borshchiv (Borshiv) - Borszow - Borshov: village 3
km south east of Peremyshlyany. Dont mix it up with
major town Borshchiv in Ternopil region!

* Holohory, Gologory - Gologory - Gologori, Holohori
- village between towns Peremyshlyany and
Zolochiv. 21 km north east of Peremyshlyany.
Name measn "bare mountains". Nearby it
there is hamlet Holohirky (Gologorki).

* Ivanivka, Iwaniwka - Iwanowka - Ivanovka - village
on the road to Berezhany, some 18 km from
Peremyshlyany. It is located next to Bolotnya.

* Khomyna - Chomina, Chomyna - Homyna - village, or
little hamlet 21 km south east of Peremyshlyany. Name
most likely comes from Ukrainian personal name
"Khoma" (Choma) which corresponds to Thomas
in English. Khomyna is like a suburbian hamlet to
village of Bile nearby.

* Kymyr - Kimirz - Kimir: village, 5 km south west of
Peremyshlyany

* Koropets' - Koropiec, Koropiez - Koropyets,
Koropets - village, or one may say little town, 30 km
east of Peremyshlyany, just north of town Pomoryany
(Pomorzani, Pomorzane, Pomorzany). The river Koropets
starts south from there. It flows south to Dniester.
Dont mix it up with other village Koropets' which is
just at the point where this river enters Dniester in
southern part of Ternopil region. Name Koropets means
"little carp" from Ukrainain
"korop" (carp, fish).

* Kosteniv - Kosteniow - Kostenev: village on left
bank of river Hnyla Lypa, 10 km south of
Peremyshlyany

* Kuzubatytsya - Kuzubatica, Kuzubatice -
Kuzubatitsa, Kuzubatitsya - little hamlet near Bile
and Dunayiv, 23 km south east of Peremyshlyany. Maybe
it derives its name from "zub" which measn
"tooth" in Ukrainian.

* Mereshchiv - Mereszczow, Mrzeszczow - Mereshchev,
Mereshchov - village just 5 km to the south of
Peremyshlyany town, on the main road

* Mizhhirya, Mizhgirya - Miedzygorze, Mizgirja -
Mezhgorye, Myezhgorye - village 7 km north east of
Peremyshlyany. It si located between two mountains
(one is 402 meters high and other one 424 meters
high). Hence its name Mizhhirya which means
"between mountains".

* Mytulyn - Mytulin - Mitulin - Mitulyn - village in
forest on the side of the mountain (460 meters high),
near Slovita and Yaktoriv, 21 km north east of
Peremyshlyany town.

* Nestyuky - Nesciuki, Nestiuky - Nyetsyuki - village
near town POMORYANY (Pomorzany) and next to the
villages Dunayiv and Bibshchany (Bibszczany /
Bobszczny). 30 km east of Peremyshlyany. Name comes
from Ukrainian "nesty" to carry, or to
nestle also.

* Novosilky - Nowosiolka / Nowosiolki - Nowosilki:
little village halfway between Berezhany and
Peremyshlyany, at the beginnings of river
Narayivka (Narajowka). 18 km south east from
Peremyshlyany

*Novosilky - Nowosiolka / Nowosiolki - Nowosilki:
large village some 25 km to the north east of
Peremyshlyany. Dont mix it with the same name
Novosilky to the south east of Peremyshlyany.
Generally speaking Novosilka is extremely common name
in Ukraine.

* Pecheniya - Peczenia - Pechenia: village 23 km
north west from Peremyshlyany

* Pidhaychyky, Pidgaychky - Podhajczyki -
Podgaychiki, Podgaytchiki: village 14 km north west
of Peremyshlyany.
Name literally means "Little Pidhaytsi".
Maybe as opposite to the town Pidhaytsi/Podgaytsy
some 100 km south east from it.
It consists of two Ukrainian words: "pid"
(under) and "hay" (wood)

* Podusiv - Podusow - Podusov - village 15 km south
east of Peremyshlyany, oclose to the border
with Ternopil region.

* Podusilna - Poduselna, Podusielna - Poduselnaya,
Podusyelna, Podusyelnaya - village in the extreme
south east corner of Peremyshlyany district, some 30
km from Peremyshlyany. Name comes from nearby
village Podusiv, and can be translated "in
direction of Podusiv" since its on the way to
Podusiv in fact.

* Stanimizh, Stanimirzh - Stanimirz: village 15 km
north west of Peremyshlyany

* Univ - Uniow - Uniov, Unev, Unov: village 10
km north east of Peremyshlyany. Place of the
Monastery of Studytes and Holy Dormition Lavra.
Studytes is monks order of Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church. Located in forests.

* Svirzh- Swirz - Svirzh: village 13 km to the west
from Peremyshlyany

* Trudovach - Trudowacz - Trudovatsch, Trodovatch -
village near Holohory and Novosilky, 20 km north east
of Peremyshlyany. Name comes from Ukrainian word
"trud" I think. "Trud" means
"work" or "labour" in English.

* Velyka Vilshanytsya, Vilshanytsya - Olszanica
Wielka, Olszanica - Olshanitsa - large village 30 km
north of Peremyshlyany, close to Novosilky and
Holohory. Name comes from "vilkha" (olcha/
olsza in Polish) which is "alder tree" in
English. And Velyka (Polish Wielka) means
"great".

* Vyshnivchyk - Wiszniewczyk, Wiszniawczyk,
Visznievczyk - Vishnyevchyk, Vishnevchik - large
village north of Chemeryntsi east of Peremyshlyany.
20 km to the aest of Peremyshlyany. Name comes from
Ukrainian word "vyshnya" meaning cherry
tree.

* Vyzhnyany - Wyzniany - Vizhnyany: village 22 km
north east of Peremyshlyany

2.500 Jews from Peremyshlyany were
deported to Belzec Death Camp in September 1942 and
in December 3.000 more were deported to Belzec.

Jewish Hasidic tsaddik Meir (Maer) Peremyshlyaner
(Premishlaner) and his family lived in Peremyshlyany.
Rabbi Meir of Peremyshlyany (Premishlaner) said:
"They will never whip me in the World to Come
for not being Abraham. I was not Abraham. They will
whip me for not being Meir."

The grave of Meir and his family had
been restored recently and chapel was built on its
place at Peremyshlyany Jewish Cemetery.Menakhem Mendel (1728-72) from Peremyshlyany
(Premishlaner) was one of the disciples and
followers ofthe founder of
Hasidism, Israel b. Eliezer Baal Shem Tov of
Medzibezh (Mezdhybizh) (ca.1700-1760). Other
disciples of Baal Shem Tov were Dov Baer ofMezhirech (Mezhyrichchya) , Jehiel Michael of Zloczow (Zolochiv) and
Meshullam Fayvish Heller of Zbarazh.

Later in 1764-65, this Menakhem Mendel of
Peremyshlyany and other follower of the Baal Shem
Tov,
- Nahman of Horodenka (d. 1786) had settled in
Jerusalem and Tiberias, respectively. At that time
Safed was still in ruins, a result of the 1759
earthquake in which the majority of the Jewish
community had
perished. In 1764 Rabbi Simha of Zalosce had
estimated that only forty or fifty Jews still
remained there (Rabinowicz, Hasidism and the State of
Israel, pp. 34-42).

Alternative names: German-Przemislani,
Polish-Przemyslany. It is located in Lvovskaya oblast
at 49º40' 24º33', 42 km from Lvov. The cemetery is
located at W part of village on I.Franko St., near
Kvitnevaya St 1. Present town population is
5000-25000 with no Jews.
-- Town: town Soviet chief, Bodnar Yakov Andreevich,
Peremyshlayny, Galitskaya St., 50. Tel.: 21634.
-- Regional: Lvov Regional State Administration,
Lvov, Vinnichenko St. 18, reception room, tel.:
722947, 728093.
-- Lvov Jewish Commmunity, Lvov, Mikhnovskih St., 4,
tel.: 330524, Rabbi Mordekhai Shloime Bold.
-- Interested: Lvov Center State Historical Archives,
Lvov, Sobornaya Square, 3a, tel.: 723508.
The unlocked cemetery has no
caretaker. The earliest Jewish community was 18th
century. In 1934 Jewish population (census) was 3000.
Tzadakkim Maer Premyshlayner and his family lived
here. The cemetery dates from the 18th century with
last known Jewish burial before June 1941. Orthodox
(Hasidic followers of Premyshlyaner family) community
used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated urban
hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning
directly off the road, access is open to all with a
broken fence and no gate. The approximate size of the
cemetery before the World War II was 1,32 hectares.
1-20 tombstones, some in original location and more
than 75% broken, date from 18th-20th centuries. Some
of the removed stones are part of roads or
structures. The sandstone finely smoothed and
inscribed stones or flat stones with carved relief
decoration have Hebrew inscriptions. Some gravestones
have traces of painting on their surfaces. The
cemetery has no unknown mass graves. Municipality
owns property used only as Jewish cemetery.
Residential property borders site. The cemetery
boundaries are smaller than in 1939 because of the
housing development. From time to time, organized
individual tours and local citizens (Jews) visit. The
cemetery was vandalized during the World War II and
since. Jewish groups within the country and abroad
were reconstructing Maer Premyshlayner's ohel in
Summer 1998. There are no other structures. Serious
threat: incompatible construction: near ohel of Maer
Premyshlayner, almost with one wall is a two-story
house is being built. Moderate threat: safety,
pollution, vandalism, and incompatible planned
construction. Slight threat: vegetation overgrowth.
Survey by Iosif Gelston from
Lvov, who visited site on 15.10.1998 and completed
survey in 30.10.1998. Documentation: CSHA, Fond 186,
inventory 4, page 4; Jewish Encyclopedia, B.12, p.
911, St Petersburg, 1912; Catechism of Lvov
Archdiocese of Greeks-Catholic Church, Lvov,
1934-1935, p. 236. Interviewed was Shoikhet Meilakh
from Lvov. Additional information: During earth
excavation around old ohel of Maer Promyshlayner,
inside ohel were found gravestones from end of 18th
century and early 19th century that appeared to be
buried under the ohel ruins. The gravestones were
covered with rich wood engraving and had traces of
painting. At present, work on their restoration is
being carried out. After that, they are
supposed to be established inside the reconstruction
ohel.

PAGE CREATED BY ROMAN ZAKHARII FROM BEREZHANY.
Berezhany is town 35 kilometers south east of Peremyshlyany.
I was in Peremyshlyany many times and passed it hundred of
times
on bus going from Berezhany to Lviv and vice versa when I
studied in Lviv University
for 5 years (from 1992 to 1995), being quite familiar with
the district and area of Peremyshlyany.
* * *
Page created on 1st of September, 2001, in Oslo, Norway
(where I lived, worked and studied, doing two years MPhil in
Medieval Studies at the University of Oslo).
I had graduated in history of Ukraine from the University of
Lviv in Ukraine and hold MA in Modern Central European
History
(specializing in Polish Jewish historiography) from Board of
Regents of the University of State of New York
(I did it at CEU in Budapest). I would be interested to teach
Ukrainian, Russian, Soviet, Polish history
or languages or Eastern European Jewish history abroad.
PAGE UPDATED IN JAN. 2008 in Reykjavik, Iceland, where I live
and work now.
Please contact me, if you have any suggestions.
All copyrights reserved. See my CV.